To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the iconic hymn, the Cowper and Newton Museum is calling for singers worldwide to join the Amazing Grace 250 Big Sing by sharing their performances on social media. #Amazinggrace250 #AG250bigsing
To mark the 250th anniversary of Amazing Grace, the world’s most recorded hymn, the Cowper and Newton Museum in Olney, is calling for people across the globe to join together to create one of the biggest sing-alongs ever undertaken.
From Milton Keynes to Manhattan, Stoke Mandeville to Sierra Leone, the Museum has been contacting churches, choirs, community groups, and more, inviting them to join the Amazing Grace 250 Big Sing on the 1st of January 2023, the hymn’s official birthday.
It's been 250 years since Reverend John Newton (1725-1807) wrote Amazing Grace for his New Year’s Day service at St Peter and St Paul Church in Olney on the 1st of January 1773.
Located a short walk from the Church, the Cowper and Newton Museum tells the story of John Newton, who wrote Amazing Grace when he lived in the town.
Newton was a naval seaman and slave ship captain before a religious conversion led him to become a clergyman. Newton subsequently became an abolitionist and a mentor to William Wilberforce, leader of Britain’s Abolitionist Movement.
Since it was first sung in the market town of Olney, Amazing Grace has become an international anthem, crossing cultures and inspiring countless famous figures, from Elvis Presley to Barack Obama, Aretha Franklin to Andrea Bocelli.
The US Library of Congress holds over 3,000 published recorded performances of Amazing Grace by different individual musicians or musical ensembles.
Now, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the hymn, the Cowper and Newton Museum is calling for singers worldwide to join the Amazing Grace 250 Big Sing and to share their performances on social media using the hashtags #Amazinggrace250 #AG250bigsing.
Those already contacted include the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Prime Minister, The Royal Family, NASA, and more.
Paul Collins, Chair of the Trustees of the Cowper and Newton Museum, said, “All eyes are set to be on Olney on New Year’s Day as we mark the 250th anniversary of Amazing Grace, written here in our town and now one of the world’s most beloved hymns.”
“Together with our volunteers, we have been working hard to reach as many people as possible to invite them to take part, from pastors to pop stars, reflecting the universal appeal of this hymn.”
He added, “What better way to mark the momentous occasion than by asking everyone, wherever you are in the world, to join us as we sing this extraordinary anthem.”
James Walvin, Professor Emeritus in History at the University of York, said, “Amazing Grace has been performed by thousands of artists – singers, musicians, and choirs – in a multitude of languages and in an enormous range of genres, from classical performers to Caribbean steel bands.
It is clearly a hymn and a song that has an unusually profound significance, both devout and secular, for untold numbers of people in all corners of the globe. It provides solace in times of stress, hope for the downcast, and the prospects of salvation for the needy. Few other hymns can claim such importance.”
The Amazing Grace 250 Big Sing is part of a year of activity led by the Cowper and Newton Museum and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, and Milton Keynes City Council.
It brings together community groups, cultural organisations, local authorities, schools, universities, and more to commemorate Amazing Grace and explore what it means to people around the world today.
Amongst the activity planned for New Year’s Day is An Amazing Walk, a free community event starting in the city centre of Milton Keynes and culminating at Milton Keynes Rose where there will be a special ceremony by the Amazing Grace pillar.
For further information and to find out how to take part in the Amazing Grace 250 Big Sing, click here.
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